The Evidence for Phantom Hitch-Hikers: An Objective Survey of the Vanishing Passenger from Urban Myths to Actual Events

All over the world, motorists report giving lifts to hitchhikers who then vanish ghostlike into thin air. Phantom HitchHikers, as these insubstantial passengers are called, have become classified as an urban legend and have been related to historical tales of supernatural traveling companions. But is there more to such stories than picturesque folklore? Are there genuine paranormal experiences behind the reports?

Goss explores the meaning and causes of this phenomenon. In terms of purpose a...